Skip to main content

Hi everyone 

 

I’ve been using the sequential side of Zemax for the past year, and am now starting to get into the NSQ side. I am trying to use the NSQ optimization to figure out the ROC of a lens that collimates the light for a very simple system seen below. I looked up NSDD, and am also using pre-made optimization methods from the optimization wizard (seen in the merit fx editor). However, when I press the optimization button, it gives me an initial MF of 0, even though clearly my light rays are not collimated after passing through the lens. I’ve tried to read the manual however, nothing I’ve found expalins why this is failing, or rateher, giving the wrong value. What is wrong with my approach?

 

 

Hi Alexander,

Your merit function appears to be missing the NSTR operand. That operand causes a ray trace which must be done after the NSDD operand that clears detectors and before the NSDD operands that read the results of the ray trace. The Wizard would have created an NSTR but it was somehow later deleted.

Here is an example:

 

 


Hi David

 

Thank you for that information. It helps a lot. I’ve tried to implement the NSTR operand after my cleaning NSDD, but I still don’t get a collimated beam, but I feel like I’m close. 

 

Alex


Your merit function also contains weighted operands targeting spatial and angular uniformity. It is unlikely a single lens design can satisfy all, so the result will be a compromise. Now that I think about it, asking for a small angular radius and good angular uniformity seems like a contradiction. 


I copied your MF file as is into my Zemax, and it produces this: 

 

 

The MF is initially 0, and optimization can not run as a result. And the rays are not collimated. 


Yeah it helps if you have rays to work with. My # analysis rays was set to 0, hence no rays to optimize


Reply